UN chief: Somalia could still fail; calls for more attack helicopters to fight Al-Shabab

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

UNITED NATIONS –  The U.N. chief is warning that Somalia could slide back into being a failed state and wants countries around the world to provide attack helicopters and armored troop carriers to take the fight to Al-Shabab militants in the field.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon tells the Security Council that the al-Qaida-allied terrorist group Al-Shabab "continues to undermine security throughout the country, including in Mogadishu."

The U.N. chief on Tuesday called on U.N. members to provide the African Union-led peacekeeping force in Somalia with attack helicopters, armored troop carries and other support to root out Al-Shabab.

The United Nations has especially been stung since Al-Shabab attacked the U.N. compound in Mogadishu on June 19, killing a U.N. Development Program staffer, thee U.N. contractors, four Somali guards and at least six Somali bystanders.

Source: un.org